Mind-boggling details have emerged in an ongoing robbery with violence Court hearing in Nakuru. During the hearing on Monday, witnesses testified about the incident that also included the rape of a woman.
The court heard that one of the suspects sent a text message to the female victim apologising for the gang’s deeds. He is also said to have sent her Sh200 to go on a date with him.
The suspect, identified as Kevin Matundura, and his co-accused, Josephine Waihuini, and Joram Njoroge are accused of committing the crime in Bahati, Nakuru County, on the night of March 14, 2017.
They are said to have spent hours at the victim’s house which saw Matundura start a conversation with his victim, a daughter of the owner of the home they had raided.
The victim’s brother, while testifying in Court, said the thugs were armed with a machine gun and a pistol and held the family hostage for more than eight hours.
“We spent time together and from where I lay between a table and a chair, I could hear Matundura conversing with (name withheld). He asked her name and whether she had a phone and they exchanged contacts,” said the brother.
The gang left the home at around 5 am and made away with, among other things, a sewing machine motor, 10 bags of dry maize, a Samsung mobile phone, assorted clothes and shoes and a motor rolling machine.
They also drove away in a car belonging to the homeowner.
The court heard that after the attack, Matundura sent a text message to the woman, whom he is alleged to have sexually assaulted, apologising for the gang’s deeds.
In the text message, the suspect reportedly told her where the family could find their vehicle.
The witness said his sister received a text message from Matundura asking whether she could find time for the two to meet.
“(Name witheld) showed me a text message sent to her by Matundura that morning informing her where the father’s car and keys were. In the message, he went further to apologise for what had happened that night. The man also asked her if she could find time to meet him.”
He added that his sister agreed to meet the accused and even received Sh200 from him as fare from Kiti to Nakuru town after she told him that she did not have money for bus fare.
The witness also told the court he was aware of the meeting between his sister and the accused but did not know exactly where they planned to meet.
Following their arrest, Matundura and Njoroge were charged with gang rape.
Particulars of the crime indicated that Matundura and Joram Njoroge, jointly with others not in court, intentionally and unlawfully raped the woman.
According to the Standard, the witness told the court that the robbers took away Sh1,800, proceeds from an eatery they operated at home, and an additional unknown amount of money collected from a posho mill the family operated.
The robbers also allegedly fought over a music system as one wanted to go with the speakers and the other claimed other parts of the system.
They even considered slaughtering a chicken but then settled on tea because cooking the chicken would have taken a long time.
The hearing continues on March 28.
